Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law

by Alan M. Dershowitz

America's most prominent legal mind and the #1 bestselling author of Chutzpah and The Best Defense , Alan Dershowitz, recounts his legal autobiography, describing how he came to the law, as well as the cases that have changed American jurisprudence over the past 50 years, most of which he has personally been involved in.

In Taking the Stand , Dershowitz reveals the evolution of his own thinking on such fundamental issues as censorship and the First Amendment, Civil Rights, Abortion, homicide and the increasing role that science plays in a legal defense. Alan Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University, and the author of such acclaimed bestsellers as Chutzpah , The Best Defense , and Reversal of Fortune , for the first time recounts his legal biography, describing his struggles academically at Yeshiva High School growning up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, his successes at Yale, clerking for Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, his appointment to full professor at the Harvard at age 28, the youngest in the school's history. Dershowitz went on to work on many of the most celebrated cases in the land, from appealing (successfully) Claus Von Bulow's conviction for the murder of his wife Sunny, to the O.J. Simpson trial, to defending Mike Tyson, Leona Helmsley, Patty Hearst, and countless others.  He is currently part of the legal team advising Julian Assange.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, History, Biography Memoir, True Crime

528 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is known for his career as an attorney in several high-profile law cases and commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He has spent most of his career at Harvard, where, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor in its history, until Noam Elkies took the record. Dershowitz still holds the record as the youngest person to become a professor of law there.

As a criminal appellate lawyer, Dershowitz has won thirteen out of the fifteen murder and attempted murder cases he has handled. He successfully argued to overturn the conviction of Claus von Bülow for the attempted murder of Bülow's wife, Sunny. Dershowitz was the appellate advisor for the defense in the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Reviews

[Bob Schnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not so much a biography as a concise re-telling of Mr. Dershowitz' most famous legal cases and clients wrapped up in personal reflection. There are the obligatory stories of youth, family and his life pre-law, but they take a backseat to the story of the evolving legal system in America over the past 50 years. Of course, Mr. Dershowitz was there at most every ground-breaking ruling, even comparing himself to Woody Allen's character Zelig. His stand on human rights has even put him on the world stage and the latter part of the book is devoted to his opinions on the UN and Israel.

I must say I went into the book rather ignorant of Mr. Dershowitz' career. I knew the name but couldn't recall specifics. Once the cases started unfolding, I realized how entrenched he was in popular culture as well as American jurisprudence. Readers who are more familiar with him might find it a bit too shallow or redundant. I enjoyed it and would read another book by him.

[Ted Lehmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Dershowitz has managed to produce 546 pages of tedious self-justification in this autobiography, turning what should be a fascinating account of an important life into a boring succession of chip on his shoulder anecdotes and score settling jeremiads against those he sees as his enemies. Full review coming in a couple of days.

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his introduction to this memoir, Alan Dershowitz declares: "My commitment to full disclosure requires that I not hide behind the distorting shield of feigned humility...." Rarely has a commitment been so thoroughly honored. This book is a cornucopia of name-dropping and bows in the mirror.

That said, it's also a fascinating account of a great many incidents and issues of importance to the legal and political history of the last half-century. It's hard to be certain, but I would guess that many of the anecdotes and discussions will be of interest not only to lawyers and civil libertarians, but to any thoughtful and engaged citizen.

This book also includes one of the best short summaries ever written of the importance of free speech. (See the bottom of page 107 in the hardback print edition.)

[Alex Timberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those interested in the legal field, just imagine if you could become an esteemed law professor at Harvard while at the same time work as an attorney with celebrity clients in some of the most interesting areas of the law in the last 50 years. That is the true life of Alan Dershowitz. What makes his book interesting is his supposed near photographic memory, which helps him tell tales from his past in amazing detail.

First of all, he was an average student throughout childhood until he entered Brooklyn College, where creativity was rewarded. Until then, he was raised in a strict Jewish school system, consistently lagging his peers. After college, he went on to Yale law school where after graduation he received one of the highest scores on the bar exam. Then, he interned for Judge Bazelon of the U.S. Court of Appeals, later getting a job at Harvard law school as one of the youngest tenured professors ever. After his internship, he was in need of money and almost took a job at Stanford for 20,000 dollars a year, then the highest starting salary nationwide. Harvard upped Stanford and offered 21,000 dollars a year but said that they couldn’t pay a new professor over older professors so everyone’s salary was increased, which became known as the Dershowitz bump.

At Harvard, Dershowtiz became an expert in criminal law among other areas except business law, since many Wall Street firms were not into hiring many Jews at the time. Regardless, he became one of the most prolific legal scholars ever, all without learning how to type. He just writes on a notepad every day and has an assistant transcribe everything into the computer. With success, many celebrities became clients such as Mike Tyson and O.J. Simpson. But more impressive than being a celebrity lawyer is his contribution Israel and Israeli causes worldwide.

How a kid in Brooklyn from a lower-middle class family could ever become a Harvard professor, lawyer to celebrities, and to become one of the most famous supporters of a nation is a clear example of attaining the American Dream. Even though he was a genius - he taught class and went into trials without ever taking or brining any notes - some people along the way helped him tremendously. And he was generous in paying homage to those that helped him. For example, there was one story about how Judge Bazelon loaned him money, when his daughter was sick, along with loaning him extra money to invest in a real estate investment fund in California that the Judge knew about. The deal was so sweet that it earned enough money for Dershowiz to pay the Judge back. While appreciative, that lesson taught him to never be broke again since you never know when you need money. Now, that is a mentor and a friend. Dershowtiz made sure to visit the Judge often until he passed away, staying by his side. Most people would never receive that kind of help, but I’m sure the wise Judge knew that Dershowitz was no ordinary man.

This book was a good story on his career, personal life, and his social life in which he has tried to give back: especially to Israeli causes and pro bono clients in need of justice. An amazing professor and lawyer, he came from a humble beginning to become part of the in-group to different presidents and some of the most powerful people in the world. His life could have come straight out of a novel. I recommend this book to anyone interested in his life or legal career.

[H. P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking the Stand is part memoir, part popular law (and other leading issues) book. The combination is natural: Dershowitz’s adult life has been devoted to various causes and legal issues. After a delightful set of opening chapters detailing his early life and transition from unruly high school C student to nonconformist college and law school A+ student. From there Dershowitz moves away from a chronological approach, instead dividing the rest of the books among the various legal issues and causes he has been a part of over his very long and illustrious career. His shift from observant Orthodox Jew to secular Jew is given less attention (given his discussion of it in the conclusion there isn’t much to tell).

As he well recognizes, Dershowitz excels at putting legal concepts into everyday terms comprehensible to the layman. He also livens everything up with enough fascinating and salacious examples to keep the reader’s attention. Another highlight are the “vignettes” interspersed throughout, usually telling a short anecdote tangentially related to the topic. Particularly strong are sections on free expression, murder, and human rights.

Taking the Stand isn’t perfect. Dershowitz suffers from the same disease as Richard Posner and Cass Sunstein, thinking that because so much of what they say is so noteworthy that anything they might say on any subject, regardless of the thought they have given it or experience they might have in it, is equally noteworthy. This is particularly troublesome in most of the second half of the book, the broad stretch between free expression and criminal law and human rights. Dershowitz repeatedly claims he is not a “celebrity lawyer,” but he obviously enjoys the attention that comes with it. Dershowitz has many virtues, but humility is not one of them. He also seems to lack any real appreciation for legal history. His baseline for everything is the 1960s.

The legal (and societal) landscape has changed dramatically since Dershowitz became the youngest law professor at Harvard. Free expression and civil rights have greatly expanded. We’ve become more scientific about prosecuting homicides and we now take rape seriously. One area on which we have not progressed as a human race is on Israel. Dershowitz details the inexplicable shift by the hard left and the UN to adopt an obsession with the perceived sins of Israel while ignoring genocides from Cambodia to Rwanda. Dershowtiz, rather than resting on his laurels and taking solace in all the success his early causes have had, instead takes this as a challenge that must be met. You (or at least I) have to admire a guy who, faced with a hard shift against one of his deeply held position, including by many of his peers, responds not by hiding his views but instead by arguing for them much more forcefully, openly, and energetically.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of Taking the Stand via NetGalley.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on CD. Dershowitz reads the preface and epilogue and his daughter reads the main body of the book (18 discs). She is okay – a bit overly emotive. He is definitely over-emotive to the point of it sounding like a bad play, but it is his story and it works.

This is Alan Derschowitz’s memoir. I liked the story of his growing up in Brooklyn in an orthodox Jewish family. He was considered a poor student and a difficult child and was not admitted to Yeshiva University. Instead he went to Brooklyn College (and subsequently Yale Law School) and that made all the difference. I enjoyed learning about the Supreme Court via his clerkship with Arthur Goldberg and his other early law training. I particularly like his musings about what decisions and situations in his life were the most important influences.

I am a long-time opponent of the death penalty and very interested in first amendment interpretations, so his work in this area was of particular interest. I also enjoyed his discussion of the role of science in law – I had never really thought about this much before so and it really captivated me. I was less interested in his work with celebrities although his comments about working with celebrities area worthwhile.

I very much enjoy books about the law and this is a particularly charming one.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this hadn't just been sitting around I am not sure I would have ever read this. Prior to this, I thought of Alan Dershowitz mainly as a criminal defense lawyer as his most high profile cases usually involved celebrities (O.J., Claus Von Bulow and Mike Tyson). What I was not aware of was that he was mainly a Harvard professor who took many pro bono cases on behalf of death row defendants, free speech, human rights or any other defendants who seemed to be wrongly convicted based on either DA coverup or new DNA evidence.

Thus he uses personal anecdotes to illustrate many controversial topics. In areas like women's and gay rights, he believes the law has generally moved in the right direction from where it was fifty years ago. On the other hand, two institutions that have regressed in that same space of time are the Supreme Court and the United Nations. The former because they allow partisan politics to dictate their decisions (ie. Bush v. Gore and Citizens United), and the latter because it has been hijacked by tyrannical regimes.

As someone who does not follow the law or the U.N. that closely, I was pleasantly surprised that this book was as interesting as it was.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat rambling and littered with frequent gratuitous name dropping of Dersh's experiences representing celebrities running the gamut from OJ Simpson to Leona Helmsly. The book suffers from a certain ADHD, loosely structured around the areas of Dershowitz's advocacy--the First Amendment, criminal defense, and later on Zionism--the narrative gets bogged down like a law bog with small stories that leave the reader struggling to remember all the different anecdotes. The strength of the book is the more in depth analysis of cases. In particular, the author's analysis of the Clinton-Lewinsky was particularly poignant.

The book has some strengths, a lot of interesting factoids and a firsthand account from the man behind many changes in our legal a political institutions. But its loose vignette-ridden structure tends to lose the reader.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Dershowitz, one of America's most prominent attorneys. He grew up in New York City in a very strict Jewish Orthodox family and from childhood, was determined to give his opinion on most things. That didn't go over well in his religious school, and he graduated with very low grades. But once he got to college, the traits that were disparaged in his youth were celebrated and he graduated at the top of his class. He clerked for several judges, including at the Supreme Court and then went to teach at Harvard. He has remained there since while also practicing law.

One of his early focuses was on freedom of speech and his first case at the Supreme Court was defending a movie considered pornography and the actors who were in it. He also defended the right of Neo-Nazis to congregate a religious events and other freedom of speech issues.

To most readers, the most interesting part of the book is where he discusses his criminal trials. He takes many cases pro bono but has been involved in many cases where the defendant was famous. These cases include O.J. Simpson, Claus Van Bulow, Jeffrey McDonald and Mike Tyson as well as others. He discusses the cases of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, that of Marlon Brando's son, and other famous cases. Dershowitz sees many prosecutors and defense attorneys who go into cases unprepared and who don't research enough to find the truth in many cases. He also is a big proponent of attorneys learning the latest forensic techniques used today such as DNA matches but many have only a glancing acquaintance with the science.

Dershowitz now spends much of his time defending Israel, an extension of his work defending political prisoners worldwide. He sees a rise in anti-Semitism both here and abroad and works to defray it. He also writes extensively and still teaches one semester a year at Harvard. The book gives personal stories from his life such as the brain tumor that his first born son had to overcome and his divorce from his first wife and finding his second wife. He is truly one of the most prominent attorneys practicing today and readers will find his life fascinating. This book is recommended for nonfiction readers interested in the law.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I got in a facebook discussion with a friend, a graduate of Harvard Law School, who had warned her liberal friends not to underestimate Ted Cruz. When one of them popped up to call Cruz a moron, she reminded them that Dershowitz had called Cruz one of the most brilliant students he had ever had. Well, they countered, that must mean Dershowitz can't tell the difference between intelligence and just memorizing the material. And that was the end of the discussion, because clearly there's no point talking to somebody like that.

Dershowitz isn't shy about blowing his own horn, but I was fascinated by his educational background. He went to orthodox Jewish yeshivas, and had terrible grades. He had to file a protest to get the yeshiva to let him take the Regents exam (they had a grade requirement that he didn't meet), then shocked everybody by scoring extremely high. Admitted to college, he proceeded to collect straight As, and then went off to the Ivy League and the editorship of the law review and became the youngest ever law professor at Harvard. The problem at yeshiva turned out to be that the teachers there just wanted him to memorize the material (no problem for him, he has a nearly eidetic memory), give it back, and keep his mouth shut otherwise. Whereas he wanted to question everything. Naturally he uses the Socratic method in his classes, and looks for critical thinking in his students.

He is expecially interested in issues of civil liberties and human rights. Back in the day, he was a hero of the left when he was arguing for the free speech rights of the Vietnam war protestors and the black militants. These days he is more apt to show up on Fox News, still arguing for the free speech rights of the despised (now conservatives and Zionists). He knows everybody, and, like Zelig, was there for all the important events of the last fifty years.

I disagree with him on lots of things, but I admire him tremendously for his commitment to the rule of law. Not to mention, he's a very entertaining writer.

[Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan Dershowitz tells the story of his life and also shares his opinions on politics, human rights and his career in the law. I enjoyed it, especially the behind the scenes bits of his cases and his takes on the law, like people being too PC and the necessity of due process instead of mob mentality on social media, those parts were so great. But what I disliked were the contradictory parts in some sections when he talks of politics and human rights, like.. he advocates for human rights, then in another chapter he claims that it is a right for Israel to preemptively kill Palestinian civilians in order to stop a probable attack by Palestinians against Israel, then the next chapter he condemns apartheid in South Africa, then in another chapter..etc, there are a couple of contradicting opinions that took out some of the enjoyment of reading it cause after each new opinion it made me go “But you JUST said…” and it also has some inaccurate information like referring to the Saudi king who ABOLISHED slavery as the “slave owning king”, there a few other bits of inaccuracy like the aforementioned where he simplifies some matters of history or politics by ignoring the social and economic conditions at the time.

But overall it is worth the read for at least how he went about working on his cases, and his take on the legal profession in practice and academia, and he’s quite an interesting person and has an admirable character, despite my disagreeing with plenty of what he said, its cool that he states his opinions without worrying about being politically incorrect nor about what it is hip and cool at the time. I think my rating is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 out of 5 stars. An enjoyable read.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “CAN A MAN BE PROSECUTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING A DEAD BODY HE THOUGHT WAS ALIVE”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “CAN A MAN BE PROSECUTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING A DEAD BODY HE THOUGHT WAS ALIVE”

Is it possible to be both disappointed in a book… and pleasantly surprised… AND give it a five star review? The answer in my case is yes. Let me explain. I saw Mr. Dershowitz on a TV program where in a short interview he dropped interesting tidbits on everyone from O.J. Simpson… to Claus von Bulow… to a leader of Israel… to Marlon Brando… I immediately ordered the book thinking it would be one of those fast… quick moving… “Hollywood-Insider” type books… I was wrong… and at the beginning of this 500 page deeply technical book… I was very disappointed…

Then as I continued to read… I found myself deeply immersed in an educational exploration of constitutional law… that was not way above the head of a layman… and interspersed with facts… and Yiddish humor. Besides the interest in the famous household names that Dershowitz rubbed elbows with… which also includes his numerous defenses of the porn industry… including “Deep Throat’s” Harry Reems… it also sheds light on the anti-Semitism all over the country.

Perhaps more interesting than the famous entertainment names… are the no-holds-barred experiences with many Supreme Court Justices. The author pulls no punches in the descriptions of the character and biases… of members of the highest court in the land.

This is not a book you’ll read in one sitting… but it’s definitely a book you’ll continually look forward to sitting down with!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law by Alan M. Dershowitz. Overall it was a fascinating and stirring story of the journey of a Jewish resident of a gritty, working class neighborhood in Brooklyn to become a prominent law professor and lawyer. In many ways, despite the Jewish sheen, it is a classic American story or someone from an immigrant family who did very well for himself, earning every penny he had and helping many along the way. His book describes how he represented such people as O.J. Simpson, Klaus Von Bulow and other celebrities. It's the kind of book that makes you proud to be an American and, if Jewish like myself, proud to be Jewish.

Then why do I give it three stars (on Goodreads) rather than five? The book needed some serious fact-checking. The book tells of Jefferson's actions as John Adams' Secretary of State. I'm a history buff and knew the error. Another puts events in Israel out of chronological order. These are the kind of errors that unnecessarily detract from and undermine the book's overall message. Still a good and highly recommended read.

[Kes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It's a summary of the author's life in law. What struck me was how formative his youth was: he talks about how his high school preached conformity. As someone who constantly questioned authority, he got into trouble - but learned how to stand up for himself.

Most of it deals with cases that the author has dealt with over his life. I loved the approach he took to cases - not being familiar with his cases, the way he dealt with the issues was eye-opening. It generally does a good job at showing you his point of view.

Worth reading.

[Preston Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to get an idea of what it was like to be a lawyer. I wanted an in-depth look at the effect of lawyers on our society, how they studied and worked, and how the process was to become a lawyer. This book gave me everything I was looking for and so much more. It is loaded with all of the juicy details I was looking for and had a lot of dramatic, intriguing facts and stories. I learned so much!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in law or casually wanting to learn more about the legal factors at play in our world.

[Caleb Chan]

How do you shelf books on Goodreads that you've barely read but still want to keep notes on?

Noteworthy because it's the first book re: law that I've opened. Read around two chapters, which was enough to know that Dershowitz is a classic bad-at-school-but-actually-super-smart kind of guy with a brilliant memory and an eloquent mouth.

[Jean Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this so I would better understand his position in the impeachment process.
Interesting life. Worth reading to get a real feel for the constitutional issues that he has built his life around

[Jarred Goodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read...this autobiography proved unique in that you learn so much more beyond just the person who wrote about him/herself...he taught a lot about the law through his own experience and through his analysis of other cases...I learned a lot by reading this book...

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both incredibly informative and entertaining.

[Jennifer Warnock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I was prepared to. Other than being brilliant and controversial, Alan Dershowitz is also witty! I am looking forward to reading more of his books.

[Rosanne Tomaselli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic view of his life with ups and downs. Great sense of humor from a man who is serious about the law but understands the beauty and humor about his personal life.

[Derrick Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

His daughter reading the book is not a problem. Interesting read to understand how a liberal thinks.

[Marnie Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The appropriate answer to bad speech is good speech, not censorship."
"Sometimes being a First Amendment lawyer requires thick skin."

[B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too long!

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I haven't enjoyed anything else he wrote.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s an autobiography of a lawyer who has been in the middle of a ton of fascinating cases, so it’s exciting. But it’s too long and Dershowitz indulges in way too much name-dropping, some of which is unavoidable in telling his story—he’s represented some big names—but most of which are included as superfluous asides.

He’s become a polarizing figure because he speaks and writes like an aggressive lawyer—advocating fiercely, especially regarding rights for criminal defendants and international treatment of Israel. Per usual, most of the time he’s an excellent writer, even if you disagree with his conclusions, but he also occasionally veers too close to the line between being advocacy and intellectually dishonest politicking; e.g., on p. 180, referring to someone who “wrote [an article] calling for my assassination.” The cited article, entitled “Should Alan Dershowitz Target Himself for Assassination?” does no such thing, instead criticizing one of his books (vehemently, with vitriol, etc.; it’s not a good article, but doesn’t call for Dershowitz’s death). He still has a knack for catchy turns of phrase, especially relating to criminal law: “This was the first time I had used my legal talents to help free guilty murderers. It would not be the last.” (196) “Any defense lawyer who says he doesn’t lose sleep over the moral ambiguity and complexity of his role is either lying or is unworthy of the responsibility of representing the possibly guilty in order to prevent the conviction of the possible innocent.” (320)

Most of the book recaps events that have already been widely written about; Dershowtiz’s teaching career at Harvard is an exception. He’s done some pioneering stuff, e.g., he banned note-taking for the first two weeks to help students learn to listen and engage in the discussion, promising no material would be on the exam.

It’s a solid book that could have used some aggressive edits, removing name-drops etc. Dershowitz’s life story will produce a great book, but his ego prevents the auto-biographical format from being that vehicle.

[Marie Smith]

referenced in newspaper article

[Sanjeev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until I read this book, I only knew "the Dersh Character" garrulous, disputatious, aggressive law professor whom I had been seeing for 30 years on television talk shows. The substance was probably always good but style was grating on the nerves. This book introduces "the real Alan"- thoughtful, shy and who claims to be a "pushover" in private life. Hard to imagine! But that's how Mr. Dershowitz talks about his public and private personas.

This book is written by one of the most brilliant legal minds of our times who was involved in almost all of the important legal issues and famous cases of this era: Freedom of Speech, Civil Rights, death penalty, gender eand racial equality, rape, gay marriage, psychiatry and law, Church & State etc. all of which he writes about in this book.

First section of the book is about his childhood in Brooklyn, college, going to Harvard, clerkship at the Appellate and Supreme Courts and job at the Harvard Law School. Second through the fourth parts are about his handling of famous cases like O.J. Simpson, von Bulow etc. and his dealings up close and personal with people like Bill Clinton, Kennedy's, Supreme Court judges and others.

Mr. Dershowitz is a very engaging writer and this book makes a great reading. Shorn of his TV persona, the substance comes through and "the real Alan" is thoughtful, fascinating and extremely intelligent. But there are places in the book where he still cannot help tooting his horn: for example, even in his eighties how interesting his average week is!

Overall, a must read if you are interested in the legal issues of our society and times.